Casey Harper (Center Square)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday that FEMA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on immigrants under the Biden administration and does not have enough funds to sustain the agency for the rest of the year, even though more hurricanes could hit.
DHS oversees FEMA, putting Mayorkas in charge of the emergency relief agency focused on helping recent immigrants settle in the United States.
“We are meeting our immediate needs with the money we have,” Mayorkas told reporters. “We are expecting another hurricane to hit. FEMA doesn’t have the funds to last the season.”
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Mayorkas’ surprising admission comes as FEMA grapples with widespread damage from Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 hurricane struck the Southeast, costing billions of dollars and causing widespread infrastructure damage, food shortages and more than 100 deaths. Many are still unaccounted for.
President Joe Biden said earlier this week that he may ask Congress to authorize more funding for FEMA.
FEMA in April this year presentation $640 million in new funding, $300 million in “direct funding” to help immigrants settle in the United States, and the remaining $340 million was given to cities through grants for the same purpose.
“Last year, more than $780 million was awarded to organizations and cities across the country through SSP and Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Awards,” FEMA said in a release.
Although funds are allocated by Congress and money can flow flexibly through FEMA from other internal sources, Mayorkas’ comments still leave FEMA’s resources focused on immigrants, leaving the agency unprepared for this deadly hurricane season. It shows.
RELATED: Inspector General Finds Numerous Failures Within Department of Homeland Security Under Biden-Harris.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, illegal immigration has surged, with millions of immigrants entering the U.S. and overwhelming the federal government’s ability to catch and process millions of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border.
At least 12 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States under the Biden-Harris administration, but many experts estimate that number is actually much higher.
Hurricane season is expected to last until the end of November.
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